The present invention generally relates to a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a facsimile apparatus which is linked to a local area network including two or more personal computers and operates on the local area network as a facsimile server.
A facsimile apparatus having facsimile server functions has been developed and put into practical use. The known apparatus can operate as a facsimile server on a local area network (LAN) to which a plurality of personal computers are linked. The facsimile apparatus is provided with a scanner, a plotter, and document transmission capabilities. Any user on the plurality of personal computers in the LAN can transmit and receive data through the facsimile apparatus by using the scanner, the plotter, and the document transmission capabilities. Therefore, the network resources can be efficiently used by utilizing the facsimile apparatus.
The facsimile apparatus mentioned above manages the transmission result records. The transmission result records list previous transmission results of the facsimile apparatus from transmitting stations and to reception stations via telephone lines. However, in order to arrange a transmission record list for each of the users on the personal computers on the LAN, it is necessary to output a transmission record list on the facsimile apparatus and search for the relevant items in the transmission record list. This is time consuming and inconvenient to the users on personal computers at remote locations.
In addition, after a document is transmitted by a user from one personal computer, it is necessary that the user goes to the facsimile apparatus and confirms the completion of the transmission on the facsimile apparatus. This is also inconvenient to the users. In addition, when the facsimile apparatus stops operating due to a paper end or a paper jam, such a state of the facsimile apparatus is not notified to the users on the personal computers. The users on the personal computers in the LAN cannot receive data from external stations via the transmission apparatus and cannot transmit data to external stations until the problem is eliminated and the facsimile apparatus returns to a normal operating state.